Janet Farrer

Janet Farrer is an associate in the Austin office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.

Few are paying attention to the cost curve and the potential for state to enact their own reform measures

Model legislation adopted by NCOIL provides that the third party accessing the contract must comply with contacting terms

The Golden Gate Restaurant Association argues that contributions to San Francisco's Health Access Program under a 2006 ordinance are preempted by ERISA

Financial considerations, treatment offerings and networks must be comparable to medical benefits

When companies interact with governmental bodies, issues related to the Public Information Act frequently arise. It is imperative for those companies to understand the Public Information Act as well as the internal procedures that may be developed to handle open records issues.

Across the country, state and local lawmakers are discussing various mechanisms to provide healthcare coverage to uninsured residents, and some states have recently enacted such legislation. Some of these laws include the requirement to make employers fund at least part of the states' health insurance programs.

Sens. Leahy and Kennedy have introduced the Health Information Privacy and Security Act of 2007 (HIPSA), which if enacted into law, would require HHS to revise HIPAA.

Choice of law issues arising from coverage disputes of both individual and group insurance policies many times determine which party will prevail on the merits of a particular case. Also, in today's mobile economy, insurance transactions frequently cross state boundaries.

As employers search for ways to reduce rising healthcare costs and improve employee productivity, more companies are implementing wellness programs in an attempt to improve employees' health and reduce their own insurance costs. There are a number of different options employers may consider when deciding to institute a wellness program, including offering smoking cessation and weight loss programs, fitness classes, and in some cases, penalizing certain behavior. Employers must be careful, however, to ensure that these programs do not violate certain federal and state laws as they carry certain inherent legal risks.